Courtesy of MD Anderson Cancer Center

Christopher Wood, M.D., Urology professor, passed away Nov. 3. He is remembered by his colleagues [at MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, Texas] as a surgeon with unwavering standards, a selfless mentor with boundless generosity, and, above all, a friend. He walked slowly, never in a hurry. He wasn’t shy, but spoke seldom, saving his words for when it mattered. And he brought a sense of fun and ease to almost every interaction.

“He was indescribably massive in every way: Intellect, personality, humor, skill, care and generosity,” says Neema Navai, M.D., Urology associate professor. “I hope for all of us it doesn’t take too many generations to see his equal again, but my heart tells me we never will.”

A dedicated clinician and researcher

In his more than 25 years at MD Anderson, Wood made innumerable contributions to the field of kidney cancer surgery and research. He was world renowned for his research around renal cell carcinoma. Outside of MD Anderson, he served as chair of the Kidney Cancer Association (KCA).

In an interview with KCA he once said, “I truly love helping people and there can be no greater gift to them than curing them of their cancer or making a positive impact on their outcome. I have the best job in the world.”

But it was a field he never intended to work in. Wood first came to MD Anderson as a fellow in 1995 and joined the faculty in 1998 with a dual appointment as an assistant professor in Urology and Cancer Biology. He told KCA he was originally hired to be the “prostate guy,” but at the time, the Urology department included only seven faculty, compared to 18 today. No one specialized in kidney cancer and many of those surgeries fell to him. He quickly discovered he loved treating the disease and eventually switched his research focus to match.

“Once Chris made up his mind to do something, nothing less than success was acceptable,” says Marshall Hicks, M.D., division head of Diagnostic Imaging.

As “the new kid,” Wood worked diligently, operating four days a week and spending Saturdays in his office writing protocols and catching up on administrative work. Even as a young faculty member, he was often asked by referring physicians to remove large tumors after other surgeons had tried and failed. Over the years, he focused on efficiency in the OR and helped expand kidney surgery services at MD Anderson. He was appointed deputy chair in 2008 and promoted to professor in 2010.

“Chris was an absolute force in the OR,” Navai says. “He could do things in 40 minutes that other surgeons needed three hours to complete, and he did it better than they ever could.” 

He was known for playing heavy metal music and speaking his mind in the operating room. He never wavered in his direct approach but always remained kind.

“Chris leaves a legacy of master surgical skills that has changed where the bar is for the rest of us,” says John Davis, M.D., Urology professor.

A legacy focused on education

Wood harbored a passion for education and served as the departmental CME course chair, ran the urology agenda for a Surgery CME event and also hosted a conference for patients through the KCA.

“He had famous ways of getting good content out of the panelists – a mix of being serious and humorous,” Davis says. “He loved conference debates – preferably contentious and entertaining with figurative blood on the floor at the end.”

Wood was focused on faculty development. He had a steady pipeline of fellows known as “Wood fellows” who did basic lab research and contributed to high impact papers. He was dedicated to their development. often making personal sacrifices to bring them new opportunities.

“If I could describe him in two words, it’s unconditional generosity,” says Jose Karam, M.D., Urology associate professor and former fellow drawn to MD Anderson by Wood. “He never asked for anything in return.”

He remembered Wood often told them, “Your success is my success.”

“One of the things I admire most about him was his ability to put his own ego aside and elevate others around him,” says Brian Chapin, M.D., a Urology associate professor and former “Wood fellow.” “He was my mentor, my friend, my brother and, occasionally, my parent.”

A lasting impact

Outside of MD Anderson, Wood loved to travel, particularly to the Middle East or to Colorado when he stayed stateside. He loved to ski in the winter and play golf in the spring and summer. He was a Houston Texans season ticket holder for 20 years.

“He worked hard and played hard. Everything he did, he did full tilt,” Hicks says.

He was a loving husband to his wife Colleen and a dedicated father and friend to his children Chris Jr. and Sarah. For Wood, there was no division between his life in and outside of work. He welcomed many colleagues into his family and many of them grew close over the years. Carol Fourtunia, an administrative coordinator who worked with Wood for more than 20 years, says she considers the Woods her extended family.

“He was kind, so generous and I never knew him to say no to anything,” says Fourtunia. “He always wanted to help everyone.” 

It wasn’t hard to see Wood’s impact in the days following his death. Many patients, societies and organizations from across the world reached out or released statements offering their condolences.

“The tremendous support and sympathy that we have received from individuals worldwide provided comfort and the reminder of the impact that Chris has had on the lives of so many,” says Colin Dinney, M.D., Urology chair. “At the same time, it also tells how much the world will miss him.”

A tribute to Dr. Wood from his friend, and KCA and MD Anderson Cancer Center colleague, Dr. Nizar Tannir